Jar holder



y 1937- Q W. T. WESTLUND v 2,087,827

JAR HOLDER Filed Jan. 7, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,7 l J a. Z

Inventor y A llomeys July 20, 1937;

W. T. WESTLUND 2,087,827

I JAR HOLDER Filed Jan 7, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Inventor .Wifer 2171 56512422 0 zm gm Patented July 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE J AR HOLDER Walter T. Westlund, Eagle Bend, Minn.

Application January 7, 1936, Serial No. 58,013

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a device for holding hot jars in a housewifes kitchen or the like in the process of ordinary canning. In other words, one of the problems of the housewife in the ordinary canning is to boil the articles in the jars with the covers slightly on and then take them out of the boiling water and screw the tops down on tight. The housewife under the usual practice has to take a towel or cloth to hold the jar and screw the cover on tight because the tightness of the cover is what depends upon the keeping of the preserves, especially the hot pack.

The object of the invention resides in the provision of a device of this nature which is exceedingly simple in its construction, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to manipulate, strong and durable, not likely to easily become out of order, handy, very efiicient and reliable in use and operation and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

'In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a device embodying the features of my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the pedal.

Referring to the drawings in detail it will be seen that numerals 4 denote four uprights preferably constructed of angle iron. The numeral 5 denotes a platform of rectangular formation with a depending flange 6 formed on the edge thereof. The upper ends of the uprights are riveted or otherwise secured in the corners of thisfiange 6. Numeral 1 denotes a shelf with a depending marginal flange 8. The corners of the shelf are riveted or otherwise fixed in the intermediate portions of the uprights 4. This shelf functions as a brace and is handy for the user of the device as the description proceeds. The platform 5 is provided with a pair of elongated longitudinally extending slots 9, 9 disposed equi-distant from the center of the platform and slightly offset to opposite sides of the media longitudinal dimension of the platform. A bracket is in the form of a bar In the central portion of which depends downwardly in a U-shaped manner as indicated at l I. The ends are turned down as indicated at I2 and are fixed to the side portions of the flange 6 so that the bracket extends transversely across the central portion of the platform. A pair of ogee' shaped levers M are pivoted intermediate their ends as at [5 in the U-shaped depending portion ll of the bracket bar In and the upper arms of the levers extend through the slot 9. Links l6 are pivoted to the extremities of the lower arms of the levers and are pivoted together and to a rod ll as at l8.. The rod l'l extends downwardly through an opening IS in the shelf 1 and is pivoted to an intermediate portion of a pedal 20. The pedal has one end pivoted as at 2| to one of the legs 4. A spring 22 is engaged adjacent the other end of the pedal, that is the free end, which has the foot plate 23 thereon, and is fixed as at 24 at its other end to another of the legs 4. Arcuate plate jaws 25 have rubber linings 26 on their inner faces and projecting out from their outer faces U-shaped elements 21 in which the upper extremities of the M are pivoted.

The spring 22 normally holds the jaws in released position, that is, the full line position of Figure 2. By placing the foot on the foot plate and pressing down so that the lever takes the dotted line position of Figure 2 and the other parts take the dotted line position shown in this figure it will be seen that the jaws clamp about a jar and firmly hold it in place so that the top may be easily and effectively screwed on the jar.

It is thought that the construction, operation, utility and advantages of this device will now be quite apparent to those skilled in this art without a more detailed description thereof.

The present embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail merely for the purposes of exemplification since in actual upper arms of the levers practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description.

It will be apparent that changes in the details of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What is claimed is:-

1. A device of the class described including, in combination, a platform, means for supporting the platform, slots provided in the platform, a pair of ogee-shaped levers projecting through the slots, means under the platform for pivotally mounting the intermediate portions of the levers, jaws pivotally mounted on the upper extremities of the levers, whereby said jaws are retained in constant vertical alinement with the work to be gripped, and means engaged with the lower extremities of the levers for swinging the same, said last-mentioned means comprising links pivotally engaged with the lower extremities of the levers, a rod, means pivotally connecting the other ends of the links and the upper end of the rod together, a pedal, means for pivotally mounting the pedal, the lower end of the rod being pivotally engaged with an intermediate portion of said pedal.

2. A device of the class described including, in combination, a platform, means for supporting the platform, slots provided in the platform, a pair of ogee-shaped levers projecting through the slots, means under the platform for pivotally mounting the intermediate portions of the levers, jaws pivotally mounted on the upper extremities of the levers, whereby said jaws are retained in constant vertical alinement with the work to be gripped, and means engaged with the lower extremities of the levers for pivotally supporting the same, said second-mentioned means comprising a bracket bar fixed under the platform and extending thereunder between the inner ends of the slots and having an intermediate depending U-shaped portion between the sides of which the intermediate portions of said levers are pivoted.

3. A device of the class described including in combination, a platform, means for supporting the platform, slots provided in the platform, a pair of ogee-shaped levers projecting through the slots, means under the platform for pivotally mounting the intermediate portions of the levers, means engaged with the lower extremities of the levers for pivotally supporting the same, and jaws pivotally mounted on the upper extremities of the levers and having their lower ends abutting said levers, whereby the jaws during the pivotal action of the levers are retained in constant vertical alinement with the work to be gripped.

WALTER T. WESTLUND. 

